Method of embossing leather as applied to backs of loose leaf binders



J. COOPER July 25, 1933.

METHOD OF EMBOSSING LEATHER AS APPLIED TO BACKS OF LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed Sept. 26, 1932 ""1, IIIIIII INVENTUR #W ATI'D'BNEYE Patented July 25, 1933 i I en e amt-E JAMES COOPER, OF SYRAOUEE, NEVJ YORK, ASSIGNOR 'IO HALL & MCOHESNEY, OE

PATENT OFFICE SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF -NEVI YORK' METHOD OF EMBOSSIING LEATHER AS APPLIED T 0 BACKS OF LOOSE LEAF IBINDERS Application-filed September 26, 1932. Serial No. 634,924.

comes necessary to construct them in .a

strong and substantial manner and also to protect the titles and other indicia thereon against obliteration.

For this purpose, the back of each book preferably comprises a' core of relatively stiff and hard rawhide or other suitable material of concavo-convex crosssection extending the entire length of the book and having its lower convex face provided with longitudinally spaced transverse bosses or cushions of cork or equivalent more or less elastic material adhesively or otherwise secured thereto.

' A layer of relatively tough but pliable leather is then adhesively or otherwise secured to the outer convex surfaces vof'the core and bosses so as to follow closely the contours thereof and thereby to add its resiliency to that of the cushions and at the same time to produce the desired finishto the back and to enable the title and other indicia to be printed or impressed thereon. In order that the finishing layer of leather may be closely applied to all portions of the convex surfaces of the back and to the cushioned bosses thereon, it is desirable to use a single piece of leather of suflicient size to cover said surfaces and to extend over and around the marginal edges of the core and also to emboss the leather to conform to the contour of the bosses before its application to the core.

- It is found that wet or moistened leather may be embossed in greater relief and with tious and reliable than tains its embossed configuration indefinitely Without materially affecting its original marginal dimensions.

, Heretofore, it has been customary to moisten the entire strip of leather which is to form the covering for the back and then to adhesively apply this moistened strip by hand pressure or by the use of hand tools into all of the intaglio parts and alsoagainst between suitable dies so as to preserve the 1 original surface finish andcolor ofall other parts'and at the same time to preform those parts complementary to the form'of the surface to which the embossed leather is to be applied and thereby to assure a better, qual v I ity of work and increased output with less skillful labor.

Another object is to render the operation of assembling the embossed leather back plece upon the previously cushioned surface of the core less laborious and more expedihas heretofore been practised.

plementary to the bosses on the lower face of the core of the back so that it will instantly and accurately seat itself upon and around said bosses so that it may be adhesively ap plied to the core-with greater ease and efli-- ciency than would bepossible under the pre'vlous methods.

Other objects and uses will be brought Figure 1 is a perspective View of a flat strip of leather of suflicient size to form a covering for the back of a loose leaf binder. V V

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same strip of "leather embossed to conform to ion the contour of the bosses on the core of the back unit of the binder.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a set of moulds for embossing the leather strip as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 a transverse sectional view of the moulds taken on line 44, Figure 3.

Figure 5 a perspective view of the leather strip shown in Figure 2, except that its mar inal edges are shaped to fold over and upon the marginal edges of the core of the back unit.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the detached core to which the embossed leather strip shown in Figure 5 is to be applied.

Figi 7 1, a perspective view of the back unit inc...

iding the core with the leather strip applied thereto.

Figure 8 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view of one end of the back unit taken on line 88, Figure 7. I

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 99, Figure 7.

in order that the invention may be clearly understood, 1 have shown in Figures 6, 8 and 9, a core 1 of rawhide or equivalent comparatively stiff and hard material of concave-convex cross section and of sufficient length to extend from end to end of a loose leaf binder, such for example, as that shown in my pending application referred to, said core being enclosed in a casing 2 of fabric ad csiveiy secured to its opposite faces to a unitary part thereof, said core and casing cont'itutinp" the supporting base for hack unit of the loose leaf binder.

Upon the convex side of this supporting is adhesively secured a plurality of w s 2-3, 4 and 5 which are arranged in lonlinally spaced relation and extend trans- 'risely from edge to edge of the base or core 1.

'lhese bosses 3, 4 and 5 are preferably made of cork or equivalent more or less resilient material to form cushions adapted to relieve the shock upon other parts of the binder and reduce the noise incidental to use of the book when placed ed ewise w ite in cross section and are arranged so that the outer faces of the relief parts 8 and 11 will be of about the same radlus having a ing and somewhat wider relief lso the outer surfaces of the bosses are common center or axis to take thrust of the book when resting upon its back.

The outer surfaces of the core and its bosses 3, 4 and 5 may therefore be said to be embossed in that they are provided with the intaglio and relief parts referred to, and the purpose of the present invention is to preform a leather strip, as 13, Figure 1, with intaglio and relief parts complementary to those of the core 1 so that it may be easily and quickly applied to said core by any suitable adhesive substance to form a facing or covering therefor in such manner that it will conform closely to the intaglio parts of the core.

In carrying out this purpose, the leather strip 13 will be made of suflicient size to cover the entire convex surface of the core 1 and bosses 3, 4 and 5 and to overlap around and upon the inner surfaces of the marginal edges of the core in the manner shown in my pending application referred to.

The portions of this leather strip 13 which are to be applied to the relat'vely narrow intaglio parts 6, 7, 9 and 10 of the bosses 3, 4 and 5 are first moistened by any suitable means to render them sun' lciently pliable for embossing into said intaglio parts without moistening any of the remaining parts of the strip.

The means for embossing the moistened parts of the leather strip 13 preferably comprises a pair of opposed pressing elements 14 and 15 having their meeting faces provided with separate sets of cooperative dies 6', 7', 9 and 10 arranged in substantially the same longitudinally spaced relation as and complementary to the intaglio parts 6, 7, 9 and 10 respectively of the bosses 3, 4 and 5.

After the relatively narrow Zones of the leather strip 18 have been moistened in the manner described, the strip is placed b tween the pressing elements with its moistened Zones in registration ith their corresponding sets of dies so that when the pressing elements are brought into pressing coaction the moistened portions of the strip will be embossed by the dies 6', 7', 9 and 10, to form corresponding intaglio parts 6, 7", 9 and 10". 7

It will be noted upon reference to Figure 3 that the portions of the meeting faces of the dies 14 and 15 between the dies are cut away to form recesses 8, 12 and 1, corresponding respectively to the relief portions 8, sunken panel 12 and to the spaces between the bosses 3, 4 and 5 of the core 1 to prevent pressure of the pressing elements upon the unmoistened parts of the leather and thereby to preserve the original finished condition of the leather of the unmoistened, unpressed parts.

If desired, the pressing elements 14 and moistened parts of the leather while under pressure betweenthe dies and for this purpose both pressing elements are provided with heating chambers 14 and 15 for receiving a heating agent such as steam from any available source ofsupply, not shown, or the moistened parts of the leather may be cold-pressed by the same dies.

In either process the embossed leather strip will be removed from between the pressing elements as soon as the pressing operation is completed to be subsequently applied to the convex surfaces of the core 1 and bosses 3, 4t and 5.

In order that the embossed strip may be conveniently and closely fitted around and upon the marginal edges of the core 1 without excessive folds in the manner shown in my pending application referred to the edges of its opposite ends are provided with suitable cutouts 20 and 20", as shown in Figure 5.

When the leather strip is embossed and treated in the manner described, its embossed parts will be complementary to the like contours of the outer surface of the core 1. and its bosses 8, a and 5 so as to closely conform to said contours when the strip is loosely seated thereon preparatory to fastening the same thereto. 7 V

.In order to secure-the embossed strip of leather in place, the surfaces to which it is V 1 to be secured, or the inner surfaceof the strip, will be coated with a suitable adhesive material after which the strip will be placed in proper position upon said surfaces with correspondmg complementary'parts in registration and then pressed in place by hand to assure the adhesion of all parts.

thereof to said surfaces, thereby simplifying the operation'and greatly increasing" the output and at the same time assuring a bet- 1 tor and more permanent job than has hereto-- fore been commonly practised ready to be assembled with the other parts of the loose leaf binder.

The moisture may be applied by a brush or otherwise, to previously marked zones as 13 shown by dotted lines in Figure 1 or through the openings of a previously prepared stencil not shown, but arranged to correspond to said zones so that the remaining portions of the leather may remain unmoistened and thereby retain their original finished luster.

It is to be understood, however, that other contours or configurations may be embossed in leather under the same or analogous process and for other purposes without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

What I claim is:

1. In book binding in which the back of the book is provided with a relatively stifi' core having longitudinally spaced bosses, the herein described method ofapplying a leather facing to the embossed surface of said core consisting in selecting a strip of leather of suflicient area to cover said surface, embossinga portion of the strip complementary to said surface before applying it thereto and then adhesively applying the embossed strip to said surface with complementary parts in registration.

2. The herein described method of applying a single piece of leather to an embossed surface consisting in moistening the leather, embossing the same under pressure complementary to said embossed surface, and then adhesively securing theembossed leather to the embossed surface with the complementary parts in registration. I 3. The herein described method of making leather facings for the embossed back of a book binding, consisting in moistening' parts of the leather which are to cover the intaglio parts of said embossed back, embossing said moistened parts complementary to the intaglio parts of the back, and-adhesively securing the embossed leather to the embossed back with complementary parts of both elements in registration. 1

4. A leather facing for the embossed back of a book binding in" which the leather is embossed complementary to the embossed back before its application thereto.

5. The herein described method of applying a leather'facing to the back of loose leaf binders in which the back is provided with raised bosses, said method consisting in moistening only those parts of the leather which are to cover the edges of the bosses,

compressing said leather between suitable dies tomake said moistened portions conform to the shape of said edges, and then adhesively securing the embossed leather to said back with its embossed portions in registration with the edges of the bosses.

, 6. The hereindescribed method of applying a leather facing to a surface having relief and intaglio parts consisting in moisten ing only the zones of the leather which are to cover the junctions of said .parts, subjecting the moistened zones to pressure between dies complementary to the contour of said junctions, and adhesively securing the leather to said surface with pressed zones in registration with corresponding junctions.

JAMES COOPER. 

